Some NHS services have faced real terms day-to-day funding cuts in recent years, according to new analysis by a think tank.
The analysis focused on funding for the likes of medicine and staff costs, rather than investment in buildings, equipment or IT, as this can fluctuate. Only by investing in care in our communities can we really hope to address the many challenges presented by an ageing population and widening health inequalitiesIt found three areas that experienced annual real-term cuts were public health , dentistry and ophthalmic and pharmacy spend .
Sally Gainsbury, senior policy analyst at Nuffield Trust, said: “For over a decade, policymakers have rightly claimed that if the NHS is to be more than a sickness service, we need to develop and boost services that actively keep people out of hospital by managing long term conditions in their homes and preventing illness and chronic health deterioration.
Whoever forms the next government will have a mountain to climb to reverse this trend without detracting from the very real spending pressures in acute care